Moravian Church in Canada
Incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1909 as “The Board of Elders of the Canadian District of the Moravian Church in America”
DISTRICT EXECUTIVE BOARD Greg Weir • District President
Wednesday June 14th, 2017
Good morning all,
On behalf of the Board of Elders of the Canadian District of the Moravian Church Northern Province, please accept these three documents for your use in the next weeks, as the calendar moves towards Canada Day.
The intent of the BECD letter is to orient our congregations towards the topic of reconciliation with indigenous groups. There may emerge, through the ongoing work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, issues to which the Moravian Church, and other religious institutions, may need to respond. The unifying principles of our Moravian faith share central tenets of other faith traditions; God creates, redeems, and sustains, and we respond in faith, hope, and love.
The BECD encourages all our Canadian congregations, clergy, and lay leaders, to participate together on Sunday June 25th, to include the letter and possibly the prayers as part of our shared worship- either orally or in print form. Enriching awareness of our cultural connections will strengthen our community.
Your elected members of the BECD wish you well as we celebrate our rich history and promising future!
Blessings
Greg Weir
President, Board of Elders of the Canadian District
Resources:
Native American Prayers
Mi’Kmaq prayer
Creator, open our hearts to peace and healing between all people.
Creator, open our hearts to provide and protect for all children of the earth.
Creator, open our hearts to respect for the earth, and all the gifts of the earth.
Creator, open our heartst o end exclusion, violence, and fear among all.
Thank you for the gifts of this day and every day
The Native American Prayer
Prayer by Yellow Hawk Sioux Chief
Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world — hear me —
l come before you, one of your children.
I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise, so that l may know the things you have taught my People, the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself.
Make me ever ready to come to you, with clean hands and straight eyes,
so when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
Videos on Truth & Reconciliation